{"id":70293,"date":"2025-08-27T08:03:05","date_gmt":"2025-08-27T12:03:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/?p=70293"},"modified":"2025-10-02T16:40:29","modified_gmt":"2025-10-02T20:40:29","slug":"utc-criminal-justice-duo-helping-to-bring-hope-to-chattanooga-youth","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/2025\/08\/utc-criminal-justice-duo-helping-to-bring-hope-to-chattanooga-youth\/","title":{"rendered":"UTC criminal justice duo helping to bring hope to Chattanooga youth"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"UTC

UTC Assistant Professor Katelyn Hancock and graduate student Kaitlin Brown were volunteers this summer at Camp HOPE America Chattanooga. Photo courtesy of Dr. Katelyn Hancock.<\/p><\/div>\n

As the summer sun rose over the treetops at YMCA Camp Ocoee, Dr. Katelyn Hancock recalled, a group of teenagers stood silently watching the first light stretch across the water.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was still dark outside. Some of our Camp HOPE youth probably haven\u2019t been backpacking or in the woods very much, and they were fearless in that they wanted to get out in the middle of the woods with the spiderwebs freshly webbed and the sun rising above the lake,\u201d said Hancock, an assistant professor in the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Department of Criminal Justice. \u201cThey wanted to see that.\u201d<\/p>\n

The sunrise was just one snapshot from a week full of connection, courage and growth at Camp HOPE America Chattanooga\u2014a trauma-informed summer program serving youth who have experienced violence in their families or communities.<\/p>\n

Operated by Partnership for Families, Children and Adults<\/strong><\/a>, Camp HOPE typically serves children and teens ages 7 to 17, though exceptions are made for younger children and returning teens in leadership roles. The 2025 summer camp, held July 28 through Aug. 1, was the culmination of year-round mentoring, group activities and one-on-one support.<\/p>\n

A total of 61 campers participated this summer, with 107 youth currently enrolled in the mentoring program overall.<\/p>\n

Michelle Howard, program manager for Camp HOPE America Chattanooga, said the camp isn\u2019t just about getting away for a few days. It\u2019s the centerpiece of an effort designed to provide stability, belonging and long-term healing.<\/p>\n

\u201cOne week of overnight camp is equivalent to six months of therapy,\u201d Howard explained. \u201cWe provide case management services throughout the year, but the camp gives kids something different. It allows healthy relationship building. It gives them an opportunity to talk and share their feelings in a safe way and to have fun doing it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"3

Camp HOPE America Chattanooga photo courtesy of Partnership for Families, Children and Adults<\/p><\/div>\n

This year\u2019s camp marked Hancock\u2019s first time volunteering at Camp HOPE. Also volunteering was Kaitlin Brown, a UTC graduate student in the Master of Science in Criminal Justice program who has been involved with Camp HOPE for three years, starting as an intern in 2023.<\/p>\n

This summer, she wasn\u2019t just volunteering; she was conducting research.<\/p>\n

Working closely with Howard and Hancock, Brown designed and administered a survey at camp to explore the role of belonging in the healing process for both campers and staff. Her work will serve as the foundation for her master\u2019s thesis, a project that began taking shape earlier this year.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was in a class with Dr. H and I was hearing all my classmates talking about their thesis or if they were going to take the comprehensive exam,\u201d said Brown, who earned her bachelor\u2019s degree in criminal justice from UTC in December 2024. \u201cI was like, \u2018I want to write a thesis.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

A native of Summertown, Tennessee, Brown is on pace to graduate with her master\u2019s degree in December 2026. While she has long envisioned a career in higher education, Camp HOPE has broadened her path.<\/p>\n

\u201cI still want to be a professor\u2014that\u2019s kind of where I want to end up\u2014but I\u2019ve really thought about entering the path of a children\u2019s advocate,\u201d she said. \u201cChildren are a population that doesn\u2019t get heard because they\u2019re so young.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve experienced that myself\u2014feeling not heard\u2014and I want to be able to provide that for kids.\u201d<\/p>\n

Howard said the connection with UTC, and the chance to collaborate on data collection and research, \u201cis more than a partnership. It\u2019s a support system.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s inspiring, and it gives us a strength\u2014a backbone\u2014to the data piece of our program,\u201d she said. \u201cIt helps us hone in on where we can go, how we can make a bigger impact and how we can really spread hope throughout these families in a better way.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Camper

Camp HOPE America Chattanooga photo courtesy of Partnership for Families, Children and Adults<\/p><\/div>\n

Camp HOPE America Chattanooga, launched locally in 2020, is part of a national model that originated in California. The program serves children who have experienced trauma such as domestic violence, sexual assault or community violence. Campers participate in one-on-one and group mentoring activities.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis year, we had four teenagers who aged out of the camper program and became camp counselors,\u201d Howard said. \u201cIt was the first time we were able to take teenagers and mentor them into becoming camp counselors. That was a highlight for us.\u201d<\/p>\n

Brown, already a familiar face at Camp HOPE, played a lead role in helping train those new counselors.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe helped us plan and facilitate a training,\u201d Howard said. \u201cShe led our surveys. She encouraged the staff and managed the survey collection. Her mindset is to change the future for the better for anybody who comes on her journey.\u201d<\/p>\n

One of Camp HOPE\u2019s foundational practices, Hancock said, is its \u201cchallenge-by-choice\u201d philosophy, which encourages campers to step out of their comfort zones without forcing participation. An example was during the high ropes activity, where campers and volunteers navigate an elevated obstacle course that ends in a zipline.<\/p>\n

\u201cI got up there and did the high ropes too,\u201d Hancock said. \u201cWe emphasize: You don\u2019t have to do it. But if you want to challenge yourself, you can.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s a lot of evidence behind the \u2018challenge-by-choice\u2019 concept,\u201d Howard said. \u201cKids who\u2019ve experienced trauma can feel like they have a bear growling in their ear all the time. They live in that heightened sense of fear. So we talk about whether they\u2019re in their comfort zone, challenge zone or panic zone. We learn best and grow most when we\u2019re in our challenge zone.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hancock said the work she and Brown are doing with Camp HOPE ties directly into broader discussions within criminal justice research, particularly around adverse childhood experiences\u2014known as ACEs.<\/p>\n

\u201cA lot of our theories talk about how kids without strong social bonds\u2014who\u2019ve experienced ACEs\u2014are more likely to follow a path of violence,\u201d Hancock said. \u201cWhat research is showing now is that when you can intervene and provide pro-social things, it gives them a way to change paths.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Girls

Camp HOPE America Chattanooga photo courtesy of Partnership for Families, Children and Adults<\/p><\/div>\n

Camp HOPE\u2019s impact plays out in small moments and significant breakthroughs, Hancock said, recalling one rafting trip in particular.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy group created a chant. They said, \u2018Dip down!\u2019 and screamed that as they paddled,\u201d she said. \u201cWe all came together to try to paddle through the rapids and get ourselves unstuck. That\u2019s something that Camp HOPE does: it brings people together and lets them work together and overcome hurdles.\u201d<\/p>\n

Brown said she\u2019s already seeing that kind of impact on the campers she\u2019s worked with.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis year I was with an older group of teenage girls,\u201d she said. \u201cIt allowed me to use different approaches\u2014mindfulness, self-love, coping techniques\u2014from what I\u2019ve learned in school and from Michelle and the Partnership team.\u201d<\/p>\n

When one camper said she was interested in criminal justice, Brown and Hancock spent time with her talking about the field, their own experiences and UTC\u2019s program.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe were both like, \u2018Let\u2019s spend 30 minutes talking about the program we\u2019re both a part of,\u2019\u201d Brown recalled. \u201cThat was really cool.\u201d<\/p>\n

Howard said that kind of mentoring is what the program is all about.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe kids see these adults\u2019 eyes light up when they walk in the door and it gives them a feeling of belonging, of being wanted and needed and important in someone\u2019s life,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Brown\u2019s nickname at camp is \u201cMiss KK,\u201d and she\u2019s been embraced by returning campers each year she\u2019s been involved.<\/p>\n

\u201cAll week, I definitely heard \u2018Miss KK\u2019 throughout camp,\u201d she said with a laugh. \u201cI\u2019ll be back next year.\u201d<\/p>\n

Learn more<\/h4>\n

Visit UTC<\/a><\/p>\n

UTC Criminal Justice<\/a><\/p>\n

Partnership for Families, Children and Adults<\/a><\/p>\n

How to apply<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Operated by Partnership for Families, Children and Adults, Camp HOPE typically serves children and teens ages 7 to 17, though exceptions are made for younger children and returning teens in leadership roles. The 2025 summer camp included some helping hands from UTC.<\/p>\n

Continue Reading <\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1493,"featured_media":70296,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_slider":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_featurette":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[122419,70,123864,61,3,50311,7712,52,64,48007,781,8325,661],"tags":[125878,125875,123827,123826,125877,123549,123828,125876,124776,123829,12852,125874],"class_list":{"0":"post-70293","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-academics","8":"category-advancement-and-alumni","9":"category-college-of-arts-sciences","10":"category-community","11":"category-criminal-justice","12":"category-criminal-justice-college-of-arts-sciences","13":"category-faculty-and-staff","14":"category-graduate-school","15":"category-news","16":"category-research-academics","17":"category-scholarship","18":"category-service","19":"category-students","20":"tag-brittney-sparn","21":"tag-camp-hope-america-chattanooga","22":"tag-creating-the-mocs-experience","23":"tag-cultivating-a-culture-of-innovation","24":"tag-kaitlin-brown","25":"tag-katelyn-hancock","26":"tag-leveraging-our-special-place-as-chattanoogas-university","27":"tag-michelle-howard","28":"tag-mocs-learn-mocs-do-mocs-lead","29":"tag-operating-with-excellence","30":"tag-partnership-for-families-children-and-adults","31":"tag-ymca-camp-ocoee","32":"entry"},"yoast_head":"\nUTC criminal justice duo helping to bring hope to Chattanooga youth | UTC News Archive: Jul 2007 - Oct 2025<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Operated by Partnership for Families, Children and Adults, Camp HOPE typically serves children and teens ages 7 to 17, though exceptions are made for younger children and returning teens in leadership roles. The 2025 summer camp included some helping hands from UTC.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"UTC criminal justice duo helping to bring hope to Chattanooga youth | UTC News Archive: Jul 2007 - Oct 2025\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Operated by Partnership for Families, Children and Adults, Camp HOPE typically serves children and teens ages 7 to 17, though exceptions are made for younger children and returning teens in leadership roles. The 2025 summer camp included some helping hands from UTC.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/2025\/08\/utc-criminal-justice-duo-helping-to-bring-hope-to-chattanooga-youth\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"UTC News Archive: Jul 2007 - Oct 2025\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/UTChattanooga\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-08-27T12:03:05+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-10-02T20:40:29+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/files\/2025\/08\/600-F-e1759437617466.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"533\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"400\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Chuck Wasserstrom\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@UTChattanooga\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@UTChattanooga\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Chuck Wasserstrom\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"7 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogarchive.utc.edu\\\/news\\\/2025\\\/08\\\/utc-criminal-justice-duo-helping-to-bring-hope-to-chattanooga-youth\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogarchive.utc.edu\\\/news\\\/2025\\\/08\\\/utc-criminal-justice-duo-helping-to-bring-hope-to-chattanooga-youth\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Chuck Wasserstrom\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogarchive.utc.edu\\\/news\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/ba12ddef664be78c31809fda10eae4e5\"},\"headline\":\"UTC criminal justice duo helping to bring hope to Chattanooga youth\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-08-27T12:03:05+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-10-02T20:40:29+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogarchive.utc.edu\\\/news\\\/2025\\\/08\\\/utc-criminal-justice-duo-helping-to-bring-hope-to-chattanooga-youth\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":1386,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogarchive.utc.edu\\\/news\\\/2025\\\/08\\\/utc-criminal-justice-duo-helping-to-bring-hope-to-chattanooga-youth\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogarchive.utc.edu\\\/news\\\/files\\\/2025\\\/08\\\/600-F-e1759437617466.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"Brittney Sparn\",\"Camp HOPE America Chattanooga\",\"Creating the Mocs Experience\",\"Cultivating a Culture of Innovation\",\"Kaitlin Brown\",\"Katelyn Hancock\",\"Leveraging Our Special Place as Chattanooga\u2019s University\",\"Michelle Howard\",\"Mocs Learn Mocs Do Mocs Lead\",\"Operating with Excellence\",\"Partnership for Families Children and Adults\",\"YMCA Camp Ocoee\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Academics\",\"Advancement and Alumni\",\"College of Arts and Sciences\",\"Community\",\"Criminal Justice\",\"Criminal Justice\",\"Faculty and Staff\",\"Graduate School\",\"News\",\"Research\",\"Scholarship\",\"Service\",\"Students\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogarchive.utc.edu\\\/news\\\/2025\\\/08\\\/utc-criminal-justice-duo-helping-to-bring-hope-to-chattanooga-youth\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogarchive.utc.edu\\\/news\\\/2025\\\/08\\\/utc-criminal-justice-duo-helping-to-bring-hope-to-chattanooga-youth\\\/\",\"name\":\"UTC criminal justice duo helping to bring hope to Chattanooga youth | UTC News Archive: Jul 2007 - Oct 2025\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogarchive.utc.edu\\\/news\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogarchive.utc.edu\\\/news\\\/2025\\\/08\\\/utc-criminal-justice-duo-helping-to-bring-hope-to-chattanooga-youth\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogarchive.utc.edu\\\/news\\\/2025\\\/08\\\/utc-criminal-justice-duo-helping-to-bring-hope-to-chattanooga-youth\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogarchive.utc.edu\\\/news\\\/files\\\/2025\\\/08\\\/600-F-e1759437617466.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-08-27T12:03:05+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-10-02T20:40:29+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogarchive.utc.edu\\\/news\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/ba12ddef664be78c31809fda10eae4e5\"},\"description\":\"Operated by Partnership for Families, Children and Adults, Camp HOPE typically serves children and teens ages 7 to 17, though exceptions are made for younger children and returning teens in leadership roles. The 2025 summer camp included some helping hands from UTC.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogarchive.utc.edu\\\/news\\\/2025\\\/08\\\/utc-criminal-justice-duo-helping-to-bring-hope-to-chattanooga-youth\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/blogarchive.utc.edu\\\/news\\\/2025\\\/08\\\/utc-criminal-justice-duo-helping-to-bring-hope-to-chattanooga-youth\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogarchive.utc.edu\\\/news\\\/2025\\\/08\\\/utc-criminal-justice-duo-helping-to-bring-hope-to-chattanooga-youth\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogarchive.utc.edu\\\/news\\\/files\\\/2025\\\/08\\\/600-F-e1759437617466.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogarchive.utc.edu\\\/news\\\/files\\\/2025\\\/08\\\/600-F-e1759437617466.jpg\",\"width\":533,\"height\":400,\"caption\":\"Dr. Katelyn Hancock and grad student Kaitlin Brown at Camp Hope\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogarchive.utc.edu\\\/news\\\/2025\\\/08\\\/utc-criminal-justice-duo-helping-to-bring-hope-to-chattanooga-youth\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogarchive.utc.edu\\\/news\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"UTC criminal justice duo helping to bring hope to Chattanooga youth\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogarchive.utc.edu\\\/news\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogarchive.utc.edu\\\/news\\\/\",\"name\":\"UTC News Archive: Jul 2007 - Oct 2025\",\"description\":\"Official news releases of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogarchive.utc.edu\\\/news\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogarchive.utc.edu\\\/news\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/ba12ddef664be78c31809fda10eae4e5\",\"name\":\"Chuck Wasserstrom\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/adff2964e628ba03f65fe21e0b0b94ca0667bdce5def0433d41884758501f284?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/adff2964e628ba03f65fe21e0b0b94ca0667bdce5def0433d41884758501f284?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/adff2964e628ba03f65fe21e0b0b94ca0667bdce5def0433d41884758501f284?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Chuck Wasserstrom\"},\"description\":\"Chuck Wasserstrom is the director of communications in the UTC Division of Communications and Marketing.\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogarchive.utc.edu\\\/news\\\/author\\\/wyf557\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"UTC criminal justice duo helping to bring hope to Chattanooga youth | UTC News Archive: Jul 2007 - Oct 2025","description":"Operated by Partnership for Families, Children and Adults, Camp HOPE typically serves children and teens ages 7 to 17, though exceptions are made for younger children and returning teens in leadership roles. The 2025 summer camp included some helping hands from UTC.","robots":{"index":"noindex","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"UTC criminal justice duo helping to bring hope to Chattanooga youth | UTC News Archive: Jul 2007 - Oct 2025","og_description":"Operated by Partnership for Families, Children and Adults, Camp HOPE typically serves children and teens ages 7 to 17, though exceptions are made for younger children and returning teens in leadership roles. The 2025 summer camp included some helping hands from UTC.","og_url":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/2025\/08\/utc-criminal-justice-duo-helping-to-bring-hope-to-chattanooga-youth\/","og_site_name":"UTC News Archive: Jul 2007 - Oct 2025","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/UTChattanooga","article_published_time":"2025-08-27T12:03:05+00:00","article_modified_time":"2025-10-02T20:40:29+00:00","og_image":[{"width":533,"height":400,"url":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/files\/2025\/08\/600-F-e1759437617466.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Chuck Wasserstrom","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@UTChattanooga","twitter_site":"@UTChattanooga","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Chuck Wasserstrom","Est. reading time":"7 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/2025\/08\/utc-criminal-justice-duo-helping-to-bring-hope-to-chattanooga-youth\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/2025\/08\/utc-criminal-justice-duo-helping-to-bring-hope-to-chattanooga-youth\/"},"author":{"name":"Chuck Wasserstrom","@id":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/ba12ddef664be78c31809fda10eae4e5"},"headline":"UTC criminal justice duo helping to bring hope to Chattanooga youth","datePublished":"2025-08-27T12:03:05+00:00","dateModified":"2025-10-02T20:40:29+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/2025\/08\/utc-criminal-justice-duo-helping-to-bring-hope-to-chattanooga-youth\/"},"wordCount":1386,"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/2025\/08\/utc-criminal-justice-duo-helping-to-bring-hope-to-chattanooga-youth\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/files\/2025\/08\/600-F-e1759437617466.jpg","keywords":["Brittney Sparn","Camp HOPE America Chattanooga","Creating the Mocs Experience","Cultivating a Culture of Innovation","Kaitlin Brown","Katelyn Hancock","Leveraging Our Special Place as Chattanooga\u2019s University","Michelle Howard","Mocs Learn Mocs Do Mocs Lead","Operating with Excellence","Partnership for Families Children and Adults","YMCA Camp Ocoee"],"articleSection":["Academics","Advancement and Alumni","College of Arts and Sciences","Community","Criminal Justice","Criminal Justice","Faculty and Staff","Graduate School","News","Research","Scholarship","Service","Students"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/2025\/08\/utc-criminal-justice-duo-helping-to-bring-hope-to-chattanooga-youth\/","url":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/2025\/08\/utc-criminal-justice-duo-helping-to-bring-hope-to-chattanooga-youth\/","name":"UTC criminal justice duo helping to bring hope to Chattanooga youth | UTC News Archive: Jul 2007 - Oct 2025","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/2025\/08\/utc-criminal-justice-duo-helping-to-bring-hope-to-chattanooga-youth\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/2025\/08\/utc-criminal-justice-duo-helping-to-bring-hope-to-chattanooga-youth\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/files\/2025\/08\/600-F-e1759437617466.jpg","datePublished":"2025-08-27T12:03:05+00:00","dateModified":"2025-10-02T20:40:29+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/ba12ddef664be78c31809fda10eae4e5"},"description":"Operated by Partnership for Families, Children and Adults, Camp HOPE typically serves children and teens ages 7 to 17, though exceptions are made for younger children and returning teens in leadership roles. The 2025 summer camp included some helping hands from UTC.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/2025\/08\/utc-criminal-justice-duo-helping-to-bring-hope-to-chattanooga-youth\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/2025\/08\/utc-criminal-justice-duo-helping-to-bring-hope-to-chattanooga-youth\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/2025\/08\/utc-criminal-justice-duo-helping-to-bring-hope-to-chattanooga-youth\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/files\/2025\/08\/600-F-e1759437617466.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/files\/2025\/08\/600-F-e1759437617466.jpg","width":533,"height":400,"caption":"Dr. Katelyn Hancock and grad student Kaitlin Brown at Camp Hope"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/2025\/08\/utc-criminal-justice-duo-helping-to-bring-hope-to-chattanooga-youth\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"UTC criminal justice duo helping to bring hope to Chattanooga youth"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/#website","url":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/","name":"UTC News Archive: Jul 2007 - Oct 2025","description":"Official news releases of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/ba12ddef664be78c31809fda10eae4e5","name":"Chuck Wasserstrom","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/adff2964e628ba03f65fe21e0b0b94ca0667bdce5def0433d41884758501f284?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/adff2964e628ba03f65fe21e0b0b94ca0667bdce5def0433d41884758501f284?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/adff2964e628ba03f65fe21e0b0b94ca0667bdce5def0433d41884758501f284?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Chuck Wasserstrom"},"description":"Chuck Wasserstrom is the director of communications in the UTC Division of Communications and Marketing.","url":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/author\/wyf557\/"}]}},"featured_image_src":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/files\/2025\/08\/600-F-600x400.jpg","featured_image_src_square":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/files\/2025\/08\/600-F-e1759437617466.jpg","author_info":{"display_name":"Chuck Wasserstrom","author_link":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/author\/wyf557\/"},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/files\/2025\/08\/600-F-e1759437617466.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/70293","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1493"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=70293"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/70293\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":70594,"href":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/70293\/revisions\/70594"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/70296"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=70293"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=70293"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=70293"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}